Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Names Helen Nadel, MD, FRCPC, of Stanford, as President, Announces New Officers at SNMMI 2023 Annual Meeting

June 27, 2023 — Helen Nadel, MD, FRCPC, director of pediatric nuclear medicine at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and clinical professor of radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine, in Stanford, California, has been named president of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The Society introduced a new slate of officers, and recognized new Fellows, during its SNMMI 2023 Annual Meeting, held June 24-27 in Chicago, IL.

Other SNMMI officers elected for 2023-24 include: President-Elect Cathy Sue Cutler, PhD, FSNMMI, Director of the Medical Isotope Research and Production Program (MIRP) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York; and Vice President-Elect Jean-Luc C. Urbain, MD, PhD, FASNC, professor of radiology/nuclear medicine and medicine, vice chair of theranostics, and director of nuclear medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Center at the University of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.

President’s Priorities

Nadel’s goals for her presidential year, as noted in an SNMMI announcement on the appointment, include raising awareness of and access to nuclear medicine, molecular imaging and theranostics to facilitate precision health for all patients.

“The potential impact of nuclear medicine in the care of patients dealing with cancer, heart disease, brain disease, and other challenges is enormous,” she said. “We need to focus on the future of our field and ask important questions, such as ‘What can we do to fast-track the development and approval of diagnostic and theranostic molecular imaging agents?’ and ‘How can we ensure diversity in all parts of the nuclear medicine family?’ to ensure that this impact is realized.”

Other areas of focus include standardization at the global level for the many cutting-edge areas within the field, supporting access with adequate reimbursement and increasing the number of qualified professionals entering the field.

Nadel earned her medical degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1977. She completed a diagnostic radiology residency in 1982 at the University of Toronto, followed by a fellowship in pediatric radiology at the Hospital for Sick Children at the University of Toronto, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She then completed a nuclear medicine residency in 1989 at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Nadel held multiple academic appointments at the University of British Columbia between 1983 and 2018 and was head of the division of nuclear medicine and department of radiology at British Columbia Children’s Hospital before taking on her current roles at Stanford.

Nadel has been an active SNMMI member for more than 30 years, serving as president-elect and in the House of Delegates. She also held positions as president of the Pediatric Imaging Council and member of its board of directors, and she has served on the PET Center of Excellence Board of Directors, Scientific Program Committee, Membership Committee and The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Editorial Board, among other posts. She was president of the SNMMI Pacific Northwest Chapter for many years and currently plays an active role in the Northern California chapter.

In the greater nuclear medicine community, Nadel has served in multiple positions for the American College of Nuclear Medicine, the American Board of Nuclear Medicine, the Radiological Society of North America, the Society for Pediatric Radiology and the Children’s Oncology Group. In 2019, Nadel received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Society of Pediatric Nuclear Medicine for ongoing contributions to pediatric nuclear medicine. She has published 76 peer-reviewed journal articles and 24 book chapters and has been an invited speaker for 180 presentations.

Fellows Recognized

Ten new SNMMI Fellows were recognized during a June 25 plenary session at the society’s 2023 Annual Meeting. The SNMMI Fellowship was established in 2016 to recognize distinguished service to the society as well as exceptional achievement in the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. It is among the most prestigious formal recognitions available to long-time SNMMI members.

In keeping with tradition, reported the Society in a press release issued during the meeting, SNMMI’s 2022-23 president, Munir Ghesani, MD, FACNM, FACR, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, was honored as an SNMMI Fellow following his term. Also recognized were:

Ramsey Badawi, PhD, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, California

Erin Grady, MD, CCD, FACNM, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California

John Hoffman, MD, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah

Andrei Iagaru, MD, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California

Martin Pomper, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Arman Rahmim, PhD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Barry Shulkin, MD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

Gary Ulaner, MD, PhD, FACNM, Hoag Family Cancer Institute, Irvine, California

In addition, Virginia Pappas, CAE, SNMMI CEO, will be recognized as an honorary Fellow for her many years of service to the society. Selection of SNMMI Fellows is based on documented excellence of volunteer service to the society and at least one of the additional three areas: excellence in scientific discovery and innovation, educational efforts in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, or clinical practice of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. SNMMI Fellowship is recognized with the designation FSNMMI.

For more information: www.snmmi.org

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